Our Criminal Defence Solicitor Birmingham team is able to advise, support and defend against any criminal offence allegations in Birmingham, Dudley, Coventry, Leamington Spa, Warwick and the surrounding area. When you are accused or under investigation for criminal allegations it can be easy to want to bury your head in the sand and ignore the possible impact. Delaying legal counsel can damage your chances of a positive outcome. Contact our Birmingham team immediately.
At Reeds Solicitors, we are recognised as a nationally leading firm in both the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners. Our team has experience defending clients in cases ranging from the simplest charges to the most complex. We will analyse the case in detail, challenge any assumptions, and work to protect your position, your reputation and your future.
If you have a case under investigation or at court in Birmingham, then do not delay in contacting one of the country’s top leading law firms. Call us at 0333 240 7373, email [email protected], or use our online contact form.
Services for our Criminal Defence Solicitor Birmingham Team
- Motoring Offences – Reeds Solicitors cover all aspects of motoring law, including speeding offences, drug or drink driving, and dangerous driving.
- Sexual Offences – Our Sexual Offences lawyers are second-to-none, and are able to advise on any allegation or charge.
- Harassment, Stalking and Malicious Communication
- Offences Against the Person – We can represent any person where allegations are made of threats or actual physical harm, including Murder, Bodily Harm, Assault, Homicide etc.
- Fare Evasion Representation – Any rail operator including West Midlands Railway, GTR and TFL. We can represent anyone who has received received a letter or court summons.
- Drug Offences – Our drug offences team are nationally recognised for representing some of the most complex cases across England and Wales.
- Fraud Offences
- Private Prosecutions
- False Allegations
- Theft and Robbery
- Cyber Crime and Internet Law
Why Choose Reeds Criminal Defence Solicitors in Birmingham
For those that enlist the help of our solicitors quickly, our criminal defence teams are specialists in proactively defending people under investigation through pre-charge representations. Our solicitors rapidly identify potential defence evidence, including text information and witness material, challenge allegations and evidence collected by police. During this process, the team will identify weaknesses in prosecution cases while the Prosecution are still forming them. Reeds Solicitors have an excellent track record of submitting detailed representations to the investigating officers – which result in cases being dropped at an early stage. This can include:
- Review of your initial police interview, with advice on any further action required.
- Representation at any re-interview at the police station in Birmingham, Dudley or surrounding areas.
- Assessment and collection of potential defence evidence that has not been pursued or has been overlooked by the police.
- Preparation of written representations to the police;
- To challenge weak evidence;
- Present relevant mitigating factors including mental health difficulties, OCD or Neurodiversity.
- To seek an out-of-court outcome such as a caution, where appropriate.
- Applications to vary or remove bail conditions where necessary.
- Practical guidance on proactive steps to prepare for possible outcomes and to protect your position.
If West Midlands Police have contacted you to request a voluntary interview, we can provide representation at any police station in Birmingham and the surrounding areas. We regularly attend interviews at:
- Birmingham Central (Lloyd House), Colmore Circus Queensway, Birmingham, B4 6NQ
- Stechford Police Station, 338 Station Road, Stechford, Birmingham, B33 8RR
- Bournville Police Station, 341 Bournville Lane, Bournville, Birmingham, B30 1QX
- Brierley Hill Police Station, Bank Street, Brierley Hill, Dudley, DY5 3DH
- Dudley Police Station (Castlegate House), Castlegate Way, Dudley, DY1 4RR
- Coventry Central Police Station, Little Park Street, Coventry, CV1 2JX
- Willenhall Police Station (Coventry HQ), Chace Avenue, Coventry, CV3 3EW
- Leamington Spa Police Station (Warwickshire Justice Centre), Newbold Terrace, Leamington Spa, CV32 4EL
Our lawyers represent clients on a daily basis in the various courts that serve Birmingham and the West Midlands, including:
- Birmingham Magistrates’ Court
- Dudley Magistrates’ Court
- Coventry Magistrates’ Court
- Solihull Magistrates’ Court
- Walsall Magistrates’ Court
- Wolverhampton Magistrates’ Court
- Sandwell Magistrates’ Court
- Leamington Spa Magistrates’ Court
Early instruction allows us to obtain the court papers in the days and weeks before any hearing and to review the evidence properly, ensuring that you are fully prepared for what lies ahead. This approach can significantly reduce the understandable anxiety of attending court and assists in achieving the best possible outcome.
If your case is committed to the Crown Court for trial or sentence, we provide experienced representation at every stage of the proceedings. We work closely with leading barristers’ chambers in the West Midlands and beyond and instruct advocates with a strong track record in achieving positive outcomes in serious and complex cases.
Our advocacy options are flexible and carefully tailored. Depending on the nature of the allegation and your priorities, we can instruct in-house advocates, junior counsel or highly experienced King’s Counsel, ensuring the barrister instructed is the right fit for both your case and your budget.
We regularly appear at the following Crown Courts across Birmingham and the wider region:
- Birmingham Crown Court
- Coventry Crown Court
- Wolverhampton Crown Court
- Walsall Crown Court
- Warwick Crown Court
R v D – Coventry Magistrates Court – Case Dropped Prior to Trial
Client was charged with careless driving after his vehicle was filmed conducting a number of overtaking manoeuvres including crossing solid white lines at a crossroads. After careful trial preparation and meticulous representations including taking a witness statement from his passenger the prosecution was discontinued shortly before the trial date preventing our Client going through the ordeal of a trial.
R V B – Terrorism – Not Guilty after trial in Birmingham Crown Court
Lucy Tapper, with Stephen Moses KC of 25 Bedford Row, represented a young man of previous good character, accused of possessing materials likely to be of use to a terrorist – including a large amount of Extreme Right-Wing propaganda and instructions to construct home-made weapons and ammunition. Using these instructions, the defendant had partially constructed a sub-machine gun during lock-down, from every-day materials purchased from DIY stores and Amazon. He maintained that this was not done with any intention to cause harm or in furtherance of any cause, but admitted that he had become rather depressed and despondent and had found himself spiralling down some dark rabbit holes. Having heard evidence from him at length, the jury unanimously acquitted him of the most serious offence of preparing an act of terrorism after trial and he was sentenced for his admitted possession of the offending material.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-65926262
R V B – Not Guilty after trial – Serious Sexual Offence
Lucy Tapper and Stuart Matthews represented a man of good character who had been exploited by a young man he had met. He was accused of committing a series of sexual offences against a man (‘A’). D maintained his innocence and his reasonable belief in consent. Due to A’s issues, cross-examination was very restricted and was pre-recorded (s.28). D gave evidence and was cross-examined at some length, which enabled the jury to see that he might also be fairly considered to be a ‘victim’ in the unusual circumstances of the case. The jury found our client not guilty at trial.
Frequently Asked Questions
A criminal defence lawyer is a legal profession who aids people facing criminal charges. This can range from minor offences to something more serious, such as serious organised crime. A criminal defence lawyer handles the legal side of things, guides you through the process, and can represent you in court if needed. Most importantly, their role is to protect your rights, ensure you are treated fairly, and ensure that you get the best possible outcome.
Criminal lawyers often deal with a wide range of cases. Some examples include:
- Sexual offences
- Harassment, stalking and malicious communication
- Theft or burglary
- Drug offences
- Assault or violent crime
- Fraud or financial crime
- Driving offences
- Serious organised crime
There is no single official ranking of “most recognised” criminal defence solicitors in Birmingham. That said there are several firms easily recognisable due to their depth of experience, local experience and recognition in legal directories such as Chambers & Partners and the Legal500.
The legal directories assess criminal defence firms through a mixture of feedback from former clients, peers and competing law firms. They also consider what a law firm says in terms of its casework, results and accolades, analysing the range of cases a firm takes on.
Reeds Solicitors is a recognised national practice, who are a leading top-tier law firm in the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners directories. By choosing a criminal defence law firm with a local presence and a national profile you receive the benefits of wider expertise on your case.
You do not generally need to hire a separate criminal defence barrister yourself in the UK. A criminal solicitor is usually your first point of contact; they advise you, deal with the police/CPS, gather evidence, and run your case day to day. For serious or Crown Court cases it is usually highly advisable and is often arranged for you by your solicitor.
Should your case require it, at Reeds Solicitors we have in-house barristers and we work with a range of external barristers too.
If your case is funded by criminal legal aid, you cannot normally instruct a barrister directly. Instead you must first have a solicitor, and that solicitor will either brief a barrister or use an in‑house solicitor advocate. A Solicitor Advocate is a solicitor that have ‘higher rights of audience’ and therefore can represent you in the Crown Court themselves – so, unless needed, you may get both roles in one lawyer instead of having a separate barrister.
If you are paying privately, you can sometimes instruct a ‘public access’ barrister directly, but you will then have to take on many of the organisational tasks a solicitor would usually handle unless the barrister has extra litigation permissions.
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